This is a long shot but if anyplace can answer this question it is here: Has there been any military use, however minor, of catapults or similar medieval artillery by the US military?

Thanks

no I think we have allways had cannons

 

Sincerely,

 

Keith

Hoe about depth charges?    Any catapult like devices used?  I am reasonably sure we never used them as artillery in combat, but any use whatsoever (training, PR, gags at West Point, etc.). 

 

 

I'd suggest that 20th century naval "catapults" for launching aircraft off of ships are really more like modernized crossbows/ballistae (with steam-powered pistons replacing the spring-powered prod and bowstring) than spring-powered pivoting lever arms like a medieval catapult.  I can't think of any American military use of a medieval-style catapult.

 

I heard that both sides expeimented with improvised catapults and simular items to launch genades at the opposing trenches during the early part of WWI.

Right.  In fact, there is are quite a few illustrations and photographs out there of British "bomb" catapults that were used in trech warfare.  I don't know if any American units used them, but being a former grunt myself, I would have to imagine that the doughboys would be quick to pick up on such an idea and construct some of their own. 

It wouldn't surprise me if there were some uses of devices of this type during the Civil War, but I can't back this up with any hard facts to back that up.  Artillery was becoming quite highly developed by this time, and even the most powerful trebuchets and catapults would have been outclassed by the cannon and mortars of the day.  Also, it is important to remember that for the most part medieval artillery was used primarily for seige warfare, and there really aren't a lot of epic seiges in American military history, especially long ones.  Sure, there's Ft. Augustine, the Alamo, Ft. Sumter, and a number of seiges of Southern cities during the Civil War, but nothing like the seiges of medeival Europe.  Prior to the French and Indian War the only seiges per se were Indian war parties against colonial outposts, but by the 1750's medieval artillery had long given way to cannon. 

 

As a big military history buff myself I wish there were stories of Confederate mangonels hammering Union forts or Iriquios ballistas taking out dozens of advancing British redcoats, but it just didn't happen.  The rebel mangonel crew would have been shot dead before they could have gotten the device into range, and the Iriquois had probably never considered the concept and probably would have considered constructing one too costly in time and resources if they had. 

It would also be unsound tactics for Iroquois. It would be playing to their enemies strengths in a contest

they couldn't hope to win rather then matching their strengths against British weakness.

I doubt any of them would have even thought of it anyway.

Besides, I think the Iroquois were on the British side.

Thanks for the help-I wil ltry to research WW1 grenade catapults and maybe naval uses (planes, depth charges). 

I teach US history at a junior high.  There is a trebuchet contest sponsored by a high school in state.   We can sign on our 9th graders (technically high school students) but I need to have some sort of academic justification, however slight, to get involved.   Science, wood shop, math, and PE have all figured out ways (some obvious, some not so) to tie in.   I need some connection to US history . . .